A DECLARATION Set forth by the Lord LIEUTENANT GENERAL the GENTLEMEN of the Council & assembly occasioned from the view of a printed paper.  
ENTITLED. An Act Prohibiting trade with the Barbados, Virginea, Bermudes and Antegoe.  
HAGH Printed by Samuel Broun English Bookeseller. 1651. Octob .29.   

18. FEBRUARY 1650.  
A Declaration set forth by the Lord Lieutenant the Gentlemen of the Council and assembly occasioned from the view of a printed paper Entitled an Act prohibiting trade with the Barbados, Virginia, Bermudes and Antegoe.  
THe Lord Lieutenant General together which the Gentlemen of this Council and assembly having carrefully perused the said printed paper and finding therein matter so highly concerning the freedom, happiness and wellfaire of this Island thought it their duty to Communicate the same unto all the Inhabitans of this place together which their observations and resolutions upon the same, and for the better and more methodical proceeding therein they have first ordered the same to be publicly read as followeth.  
Thus fare goes the said Act by which the meanest understanding may be sensible into how low an abject a bondage, the force of it would (if not prevented) reduce the Inhabitans of this Island.  
I. For first they do Allege that this Island was settled at the cost and charges of the People of England, and therefore aught to be subjected to the people of England.  
Certainly we all know that we the now Inhabitants of this Island were and still are those People of England the which with great hazard of out persons and at our great cost and charges have settled and inhabited this place and shall we therefore be subjected to the wills of those that stay at home? Shall we be bound by the regulations of the Parliament in which we have no representatives no persons there chosen by us to propose or consent to what is good for us or to oppose, or dispute what is not for our benefit or behoof? certainly this were a Slavish imposition beyond what Englishmen ever yet suffered & we doubt not but those courages which have brought us so fare from our Native Soil and found us out a living in these wild woods will still keep us freemen (without which) our lives will be but loathsome to us.  
II. Secondly it is alleged you the inhabitans of this Island have by subtlety and force usurped a power of Gouvernment.  
Had we the Inhabitans of this Island been heard what we could have said, this allegation had never been printed. But those who are designed to be slaves must not have the privilege otherwise we could have said and most truly can & do aver that the Gouvernment now if of force amongst us is the same that hath been constantly adhered unto, and obeyed ever since the settling this place and given unto us by the same Authority which gave New England theirs, against whom the said Act objecteth nothing, and this Gouvernment now obeyed here is the nearest model and ressemblance (now left in the world) of that admirable form under which all our Ancestors of the English Nation flourished for at least one thousand years past, & therefore we shall conclude the rules of logic and discourie to be strangely inverted, if the Continuance of, and Submission to the settled rightful Gouvernment be adjudged an usurpation of new power, and on the Contrary an Usurpation of a new Gouvernment and be held a Continuance of the Old.  
III. Thirdly by the said Act all Foreigners are prohibited from holding any commerce with the inhabitans of this Island.  
Whereas all the old Planters well know how much they have been beholding to the Dutch for their subsistence, and how difficult it would have been (without their assistances) ever to have settled this place & even to this day we are sensible what necessary comforts they bring us and how much cheaper they sell their Commodities to us then our own Nation; but this comfort must be taken from us by them whose will must be our law: But we do Declare that we will never be so ungrateful to the Dutch for former helps as to deny them or any other Nation the freedom of our Ports and Protection of our Laws whereby they may still (& if they please) embrace a free Trade and Commerce with us.  
IU. Fourthly to complete our designed bondage, and make our necks willing to receive the yoke our own countrymen are likewise prohibited from trade and correspondency with us and none to come near us but such as have a particular licence, from some persons for that purpose appointed.  
By which means it may come to pass that no goods or commodities shall be brought hither but such as those licenced persons shall please to be sold at the prizes that they shall impose; and no ships but theriss arrive here, so that no Inhabitants of this Island, shall be able to send home the Native Commodities of this place for their own account but be as merely slaves to that Company that shall have the said licence as our Negroes are to us, they making theirs the whole advantage of our labours and industries here. And therefore upon the whole matter we do declare that as on the one side we will not be wanting to use all the honest honourable, and moderate means we can for the continuanc● of a free trade and fair correspondancy with our native country; so on the other side we will not so much degenerate from the ancient candour of true Englishmen as to prostitute those Liberties and freedoms (to which we were borne) to the will and pleasure of any: Neither do we think our numbers so contemptible or our resolutions so weak as either to be forced or persuaded to so vile a submission.  
And we can not imagine that there is so mean & base minded a fellow amongst us, that will not perferre an honourable Death, before a Tedious & slavish life:  
20. of Februari 1650.   

19 FEBRUARY 1650.  
An Act for Defence of the Government Liberties and Freedoms of this Island.  
WHereas the peaceable Government of his Island together which the rightful liberties of the Inhabitants thereof are in great and apparent hazard to be lost, unless seasonnable and timely care be used to preserve the same, and whereas no expedient can be more proper and more agreeable to reason and justice then that all those persons, who enjoy those Liberties & Privileges should cheefully and unanimously Engage for the maintainnance and defence of the same.  
Be it therefore Enacted and Ordained by the Lord Lieutenant General the Council and Gentlemen of the Assembly and by Authority of the same, that all Freeholders & Freemen living and abiding within this Island, shall at some time before the 20 day of March Next ensuing the date hereof, repair to some one of the Justices of the parish wherein they respectively shall live or abide at such time and place as shall be by them appointed, and willingly, cheerfully subscribe the ensuing Engagement, by setting their names and marks unto the same, and be it further Enacted, and Ordained, by the Authority afore said, that all and every Person or Persons that shall not have repaired to some one of the said justices aforesaid, and subscribe the Engagement before the 20. of March according to the true Intent and meaning of this present Act, that all and every such Person or Persons shall be from thence forth disabled to be plaintiff in any Action real or Personal, in any Court within this Island, and from being heir to any man; or any man to be heir to him or in capable of ever making a will, or being Executours, and his Person to be secured at such time and in such manner as to the right Honourable the Lord Lieutenant General and Council shall seem fit or convenient, unless the said Person shall conform himself and show reasonnable excuse for his neglect therein, and it is further Ordained and Enacted that the said Justices of every parish within this Island be required and Authorised to receive the said Subscription and after the said 20. day of March to make return thereof with the name of all such Persons as have not subscribed the same unto the right Honnorable the Lord Lieutenant General, or whom his Lordship shall appoint to receive the same. And be it further Enacted and Ordained, by the Authority aforesaid that whatsoever Person or Persons, so conforming and subscribing the said ensuing Engagement as by this Act is required and shall fail to perform accordingly, shall be counted and called upon, as an Enemy to the public peace of this Island and being thereof convicted at a public Sessions by a jury of twelve men shall suffer according to the nature of his offence.  
Lastly be it Enacted & Ordained by the Authority aforesaid, that all Servants with in this Island their times Expiring before or after the 20. day of March as afore said, shall within one month after such Expiration of their said time repair unto the respective justices in their several precints which in this Island, and there subscribe to this said Engagement (and not subscribing and failing to perform accordingly) be counted as aforesaid and being convicted as is before mentioned shall accordingly suffer.  

THE ENGAGEMENT.  
WE whose names are here under-written do whilst we live in this Island Mutually Covenant & Engage each with the other, & with the uttmost hazard of our Persons & Estates, to maintain and defend the rightful Government of this place by Council and Assembly as also the Person of the Right Honnorable the Lord Willughby. Acknowledged our Governor & Lord Lieutenant General by the Consent and Approbation of the whole Island with all the Freedoms Liberties and Privileges Justly belonging to the Lord Willughby or us the Inhabitants hereof as well concerning our Law's Religion Persons &c Estates within this Island, as also our free Commerce & Trade both at home & abroad in foreign parts against all manner of Persons or Nations whatsoever that shall attempt or Endeavour to Deprive us of the same,  
20. February 1650.